The LONDON Challenge

August 26, 2017 by

These days, travelling has become a massive part of my life just like a lot of young people around me. Westpac has helped to make it more affordable & enjoyable for students & people under 31 by offering those who open a new Westpac Everyday bank account, which comes with a complimentary Student Discount Card. The discount card is recognised all over the world & offers a bunch of different discounts whilst away including tours, food, accommodation & even discounts on flights to get there through STA Travel!

Westpac challenged us to test out as many activities as we could to make our travel spending stretch further & what better city to test it out than London – a place I’ve visited many times but always has something new for us to experience.

First stop was the view at The Shard! The Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom at almost 310m high! It was only completed in 2012 so it’s something rather new to add to your bucket list. Not only does it have a viewing deck but also features a handful of bars & restaurants if you’d like a sneaky bite or drink in case you’re a little anxious when it comes to heights. We got in for student rates by using the Student Discount card.

We then caught the tube out to Grosvenor House at the Park Room, which overlooks Hyde Park – the perfect spot to experience the traditional British Afternoon Tea complete with cucumber sandwiches & a glass of bubbles! Also in the area are the March Arch, Paddington and Kensington gardens. All are just a short walk away from the beautiful Natural History Museum.

Before the Westpac challenge I’d only ever walked past Westminster Abbey, but with 15% off through the student discount card, we were able to book tickets to walk through the historic Abbey. It was at Westminster Abbey that Queen Elizabeth II had her coronation, her wedding and of course the wedding of her son Prince William to the lovely Kate. It is the burial place of Charles Darwin and it also held the funeral of Princess Diana.

The highlight for me was the intricate detail in the Henry Vll Lady Chapel at the far end of the Abbey. Not only the pendant fan vault ceiling but also the monuments dedicated to past nobles and rows of banners of the knights of the Order of Bath.

After working up an appetite we headed to Bella Italia, we couldn’t resist the 2 for 1 cocktails for cardholders on selected days! Lucky for us it was a lovely day in London & the sun shone down on us in the square – we even had a great spot for people watching & spotted Ellie Goulding with entourage in tow & followed by a mob of paparazzi.

To find out more about Westpac’s Everyday Bank account and what the complimentary Discount Card can offer you during your travels head here.